Hand bag frame



Feb. 20, 1934. c, J MccABE ET AL l ,948, 040

HAND BAG FRAME Filed March 12, 1950 Patented Feb. 20, 1934' UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE HAND BAG FRAlllE tion, Cambridge, MassachusettsApplication March 12,

8 Claims.

Our present invention relates generally to a handbag and a-frametherefor and more particularly to the employment of locking means with aframe of the inverted channelled type.

A general object of our invention is to provide a handbag frameand alocking device therefor which will facilitate the manufacture of thefinished bag and will result in the production of an improved and highlyattractive structure.

A'more particular object is to provide a handbag frame of the invertedchanneled type which employs a so-called lift-lock, which is a latchdevice wherein one of the members is in the form of a handle which islifted or swung upwardly when it is desired to open the bag.

One of the main features of our invention lies in utilizing certain ofthe inherent resilience of the frame itself for rendering the lift-lockoperative in ahighly efl'icient manner. V

"For the attainment of the foregoing objects and such other objects asmay hereinafter appear or be pointed out, we have constructed a deviceembodying the features of our invention and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of ahand bag frame embodying the features of our present invention;

.Figure 2 is aside elevational view of the same in closed condition, thedot-and-dash lines show-,- ing the frame in opened condition;

.Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially alongthe line 3-3 of Figure 1, with the frame in closed condition;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing the lift-lock in one ofthe positions it assumes during anopening of. the bag;

Figure 5 .is an enlarged plan view of the midportion of the frame shownin Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a completed bag.

We have illustrated our invention as applied to a frame designed for ahandbag having an innercompartment as well as an outer compartment, butit will be understood that the frame portion to form the innercompartment has been included in the disclosure onlyfor purposes ofillustrating atype of bag in which the invention can be employed.

The outer portion of the frame is formed of two U-shaped members 10 and11 which are. hinged Mesa,

a corporation of 1980. Serial No. 435,048

to each other at the free ends of the legs of the U, as by means of thepivot pins 12 and 13. The inner frame portion is similarly composed oftwo U-shaped members designated generally by the reference numeral 14,and alsohinged to each otherat the free ends of the legs of the U, thepins 12 and 13 being sufficiently long to serve this purpose also Eachof the frame members 10 andll issubstantially U-shaped in cross-section,as shown most clearly in Figure 3. Each of these members maybe said tobe channeled inwardly to provide spaced inner and outer walls whichextend upwardly and outwardly. Thus, the inward channeling of the framemember 10 provides the inner and outer upstanding spaced walls 15 and 16respectively, while the frame member 11 embodies the inner and outerupstanding spaced walls 17 and 18 respectively. When the bag is closed,the inner walls 15 and 1'7 lie one over the other. Each of the. framemembers 10 and 11 is preferably, though not necessarily, in the form ofa metal stamping.

The lift-lock which we have provided is composed of two cooperableelements, each of which is mounted on one of the upstanding walls of oneofthe frame members. These cooperable elements are preferably arrangedat the mid-portion of the frames 10 and 11 as is customary. One of theelements comprises a latch portion and the other a keeper portion, andthey are so constructed and arranged as to interengage automaticallywhen the bag is closed. To disengage the latch portion from the keeperportion, the lift-lock must be manipulated in the manner presently to bedescribed.

In Figure 3, it will be clearly observed that the latch portion 19 ismounted upon the top of a supporting piece 20, the latter being firmlyattached, as by soldering or the like, to the wall 1'7. The latchportion 19 extends transversely across the frame member 10 and isprovided on its undersurface with a curved undercut recess 21.

Similarly mounted on the wall 15, as by soldering or the like, is asupporting piece 22 which is provided at its upper end with a pivot pin23 substantially parallel to the upper portions of the frame members.Encircling the pivot pin 23 is a bearing portion 24 preferably formedintegrally with an arm 25 extending across the frame member 10, over thetop of the outer wall 16, and thence downwardly to form the handleportion 26. The latter is preferably constructed to support a larger andmore ornamental shield-like covering 27 which forms, with the portion26, the handle of the device to be manipulated by the user.

The bearing portion 24 being circular, it is so positioned as to serveas a keeper for the latch 19. With the bag open and about to be closed,more pressure of the frame members 10 and 11 toward each other willcause the latch 19 first to encounter the keeper portion 24, thenyieldably and resiliently to ride over the latter, and finally to snapinto engagement, as shown in full lines in Figure 2, and also in Figure3. When the bag is thus closed, the handle 27 extends downwardly andoverlies the handbag fabric, as shown most clearly in Figure 6.

When the bag is to be opened, the handle 2'7 is manually lifted, asshown in Figure 4, whereby the arm 25 is caused to encounter and bearupwardly against the end of the latch 19, thus disengaging the latterfrom the keeper portion 24. With this disengagement effected, the'twoframe members 10 andll are disconnected one from the other and the bagmay be opened, after which the handle may reassume its normal position.

It will be noted, especially upon viewing Figures 3 and 4, that thelift-lock elements are of extreme simplicity and are totally devoid ofsprings or similar parts or portions which would render the manufacturermore expensive and cause greater likelihood of improper operation ordamage. The resilience necessary for the automatic latching of the twoelements is provided by the walls themselves upon which the two elementsare mounted. In other words, the walls 17 and 15 upon which we haveshown the two cooperable elements have an inherent resilience whichtends to keep them in the parallel superposed position shown in Figure3. At the same time, these walls are sufiiciently thin because of thechanneled nature of the frame members to permit of yielding thereof.Thus, in Figure 4, it will be noted that the upward wedging action ofthe arm 25 causes the wall 1'7, for example, to deflect out wardly. Thisdeflection occurs, of course, throughout the entire upper portion of thewall 17, but occurs to its maximum degree at the midportion at which thesupporting piece 20 is attached.

The showing of Figure 4 is exaggerated for the specific purpose ofillustrating the manner in which we resort to the resilience of theupstanding walls, and in all probability the wall 15 defiects in theopposite direction at the same time. This deflection is so slight andoccurs so rapidly during manipulation of the device that it ispractically unnoticed by the user, and imparts long life to the deviceas a whole. In other words, the resilience does not diminish during use,as would be the case with a spring, and. theliftlock operates withuniform efiiciency and serves its locking function firmly and reliablyat all times.

It need hardly be pointed out that as soon as the two frame members 10and 11 are operated, the upstanding walls reassume their normalposition, which then permits the bag to be automatically closed, aspreviously described.

In the manufacture of the bag, the fabric or bag material 28 is causedat its marginal portions to pass over the outer surfaces of the outerwalls 16 and 18, thence over the tops or outer edges of these walls,into the channels of the two frame members respectively. In thesechannels, the bag material is firmly secured in any desired or preferredmanner.

In the embodiment illustrated, the mounting of the locking elements uponthe inner walls 15 and 17 is of particular advantage inasmuch as thechannels are thus left free and the bag material can be positioned, asabove described, in a simple, economical, and labor-saving mannerwithout necessitating any cutting of the bag material or similaroperations of a more complicated and expensive nature. It will beunderstood, however, that as to certain features of our invention thisparticular mounting of the locking elements is not essential, since theouter walls embody suiiicient resilience to perform a similar function.

In Figure 6, it will be noted that the metallic frame members 10 and 11are completely concealed, and that the lift-lock elements present toview only attractive portions thereof and add to the pleasing appearanceof the bag as a whole.

The inner frame 14 is of the more or less conventional type, and thenecessary fabric is secured thereto in any desired manner to provide thecustomary inner chamber of the handbag.

It will be obvious that changes in the details herein described andillustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of our inventionmay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.It is therefore intended that these details be interpreted asillustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention and illustrated its use, what weclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A handbagframe comprising U-shaped resilient members hinged to each other at theends of the U, the adjacent surfaces of which are in contact throughouttheir extent when the bag is closed, and a lift-lock comprising twocooperable elements, each of which is mounted on one of the walls of oneof said frame members, whereby said elements are adapted to be held inyieldable interengagement by the resilience of the members, one of saidelements comprising a latch extending across the other member, and theother element comprising a pivot pin and a handle mounted thereon, saidhandle having a rounded bearing portion engageable by the extendingportion of said latch and an arm adapted to cam said latch out ofengagement with said bearing portion.

2. A handbag frame comprising, in combination, U-shaped members hingedto each other at the ends of the U, each member being channeled toprovide a member of U-shaped cross-section having two side walls and abottom wall and fastening means comprising a lift-lock having twocooperable elements each of which is rigidly secured to one of the wallsof the U-shaped members whereby said elements are adapted to be held inyieldable interengagement by the resilience of one of the said elements,one of the said elements comprising a latch and the other elementcomprising a pivot pin and a handle mounted thereon, said handle havinga rounded bearing surface engageable by the said latch and an armadapted to cam said latch out of engagement with said bearing surface.

3. A handbag frame comprising, in combination, U-shaped members hingedto each other at the ends of the U, each member being channeled toprovide a member of U-shaped crosssection having two side walls and abottom wall and fastening means comprising a lift-lock having twocooperable elements each of which is rigidly secured to adjoining innerwalls of the U-shaped members whereby said elements are adapted to beheld in yieldable interengagement by the resilience of one of the saidelements, one

of the said elements comprising a latch and the 1 other elementcomprising a pivot pin and a handle mounted thereon, said handle havinga round

